The disposal of “Green” and food processing waste has become both an economic and environmental problem. Conventional organic waste disposal techniques can no longer satisfy increasing federal and state regulations, spurring the development of new waste management methods. Livestock feedlots, agricultural growers, food processors and municipalities must find new, environmentally sound and economic ways to dispose of animal, green and food processing wastes.

Solutions

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1) Solutions2) AHS Value3) Air Quality Benefits4) Development

Newly developed anaerobic digestion processes not only dispose of these waste streams efficiently, they create biogas, biofuels and other valuable byproducts. Anaerobic digestion is not new; it has existed about as long as life has been present on earth. Anaerobic digestion, a naturally occurring process, is the bacterial breakdown of organic materials in the absence of oxygen. Anaerobic digestion has been intensely developed over the past 20 years and is currently a worldwide-accepted technological process

Organic Waste-to-Energy SolutionsProviding an efficient and economical solution to organic waste recovery, Onsite Power Systems, Inc. (OPS), offers advanced Anaerobic High Solids (AHS) digester technologies and processes. The AHS digester incorporates high-solids bioconversion technology called the “Anaerobic Phased Solids” (APS) developed in the laboratory of Dr. Ruihong Zhang in the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) and further process technology innovations by OPS.

The OPS – AHS Value PropositionThe value proposition is the conversion of organic wastes into value added products, and renewable biofuels. The AHS process is extremely effective in converting organic wastes into value added byproducts and renewable biomethane (biogas). The biogas produced provides clean – renewable biofuels, usable for generating electrical and thermal energy. Through a relatively simple conversion process, the biogas can be used as clean transportation biofuels in effectively large enough volumes to penetrate substantially into the existing petroleum and petrochemical markets.

AHS Anaerobic Digestion “Value-Added” ProductsBiogas is probably the most commonly recognized byproduct of the digestion process, but several other value-added products result from AHS systems. These include liquid fertilizer, reclaimed water and high-value soil amendments, besides intangible environmental benefits.

In the AHS process, virtually all pathogens are destroyed by the temperature and chemical environment. The AHS process can also aid in the destruction and control of chemical pesticides, herbicides and animal hormones that are present in various agricultural wastes. The final solid and liquid effluent contains very small volumes of minerals, and discharges from the tanks are neither chemically nor biologically hazardous.

Portions of the nutrients that exist in the organic waste materials are concentrated in the residue solids and liquid of the digester during its process. These nutrients convert to organically bound nitrogen that is then slowly released to form ammonia and nitrates, both of which have commercial value for use in landscaping and agricultural operations.

Air Quality Benefits of Advanced Anaerobic DigestionBiogas produced in the AHS digester is be treated to remove moisture and sulfur compounds such as H2S. The generation of carbon dioxide in the AHS digester does not increase this greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, as does the generation of carbon dioxide in the conversion processes of petroleum products. This is because in the AHS digester process, most of the carbon from the digested vegetation is recycled back to the growing vegetation without increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide. The sustainable, renewable methane from the anaerobic process, when properly oxidized in an internal combustion engine or heating register, is essentially a non-polluting fuel.

This environmental benefit of the AHS digester is the reduction of methane released into the atmosphere. When vegetation and animal manure decompose naturally, methane is always emitted. Live vegetation does not absorb and convert free methane into cellulosic material as it does with free carbon dioxide. Therefore, naturally degrading organic waste increases the methane released to the atmosphere. However, the organic material converted in the AHS digester sequesters the generated methane until it is converted to carbon dioxide in the combustion process of an internal combustion engine or heating register, then absorbed back into living vegetation.

Project Development ServicesOPS provides “Turn-Key” project development where we are able maximize the strengths and experience of the OPS management, partner and advisory team. OPS will generate revenues based on a percentage of the project and OPS provides the digester project development services pertaining to:

As part of these services, OPS works directly with the Design-Build construction company with the implementation of the OPS technologies.

OPS offers the client an outsourced service agreement to construct, own and operate a digester facility at the Client’s location. Service contracts structure are based on the customer’s current waste and wastewater disposal costs and the facility’s utility costs. In this manner, the customer can reduce its operating costs, and hedge against increasing electrical and natural gas costs.

Customer Benefits of an Outsourcing Service Contract:

 Reduces utility bills and provides a hedge against rising utility costs Solves waste hauling and disposal costs and restrictions Solves air quality and environmental emissions problems from existing treatment processes No capital investment required for new equipment as waste-management regulations and restrictions become stricter “Off Balance Sheet” Financing In certain applications, allows for the facility to expand operations Eliminates up-front capital investment: service contracts turn capital costs into operating costs Customer profits increase, asset base is reduced and asset-to-earnings ratio is improved Highly visible and positive public relations impact on the company and community